Link: Resistant staph infections have Martin County schools on alert : High School : TCPalm.
Martin County public schools are alerting their teachers and coaches this week about the dangers of antibiotic-resistant skin infections after isolated instances last year of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — better known as MRSA — in schools.
"The number of cases is becoming more frequent. Mostly we see it in contact sports — wrestlers and football players," said Carolann Wegener, school health supervisor for the Martin County Health Department.
State officials tracking MRSA see more instances of staph bacteria resistant to common antibiotics — a 30 percent increase compared to nonresistant strains between 2003 and 2005. Unlike other contagious diseases, MRSA is not reported by doctors on a case-by-case basis.
There are no specific data for schools, said Roger Sanderson, an epidemiologist with the Florida Department of Health. "But we do have information for communities. It’s a problem for all ages."
Health assistants at Martin County schools are being trained this week by school nurses on how to identify potential MRSA infections, said Cathy Brennan, district spokeswoman.
